training

6 X 6 USING 70% OF 1RM WITH SHORT REST This is one of the best set/rep schemes for size gains. In fact, it's one of the first. Legendary bodybuilding coach Vince Gironda called this loading scheme "the Mr. Olympia routine" because it was one he relied on when training Larry Scott, the very first...

There are volume proponents and intensity proponents in the strength world. The Volume proponents argue that doing multiple sets is the optimal way to train, while the intensity guys insist that one set taken to the limit is more than enough. The fact is, both philosophies will build muscle and...

To continually make progress, you must develop a set of training principles that keep you moving forward. The number of principles that make up a sound training program are few. Here's what they are and how to apply them to your own goals in the gym. 1 Set the right goal to begin with. It needs...

You often hear that you have to balance the ratio of pushing to pulling and upper body to lower body to achieve a balanced physique. I disagree. This advice is good for a beginner, but not for intermediate/advanced lifters. Training in an unbalanced or non-symmetrical fashion works great for me...

You hear a lot of "rules" about exercise programming. Problem is, many of them aren't rules at all; they're just myths and misconceptions. Here are the top five: 1. A Good Program is a Balanced Program It's sounds sensible, but it's actually not true. A good workout plan isn't about balance...

HERE'S WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW... Some people spend so much time doing fancy warm-ups they forget to lift something heavy and break a sweat. Start a program and finish it. Stop program hopping. The basics are going to get you there the fastest. Squat deep, bench without the butt leaving the...

SHOULD YOUR ARM WORKOUT CONTAIN PARTIAL REPS? A cool study from 2019 should have changed the way all of us train arms (at least triceps), but for some reason didn't. It compared partial reps to full-range reps and found that the former seemed to duplicate the effects of occlusion training (blood...

HERE'S WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW... Despite what many coaches say, you don't get much core work from squats and deadlifts. The better you get at stabilizing the spine, the better you'll be at moving your limbs faster and more forcefully. Any athlete that needs strength or speed will benefit from...

Here are twelve things about building a great physique: 1. BIG WEIGHTS DON'T NECESSARILY EQUAL BIG MUSCLES One of the fundamental principles of resistance training is Gradual Progressive Overload (GPO), which means that for a muscle to get bigger and stronger it must be subjected, gradually, to...

What's the first thing that comes to your mind when you see a tall guy in the gym? Besides saying, "Damn, he's tall," you're probably thinking the guy either plays basketball or paints ceilings for a living. Or even worse, you say to yourself, "Man, he's skinny." For the most part, "skinny" is...

Experience and education are both important for lifting. But if you're a stubborn asshole, neither will make a big enough difference to help you progress. Ego and personal biases are man's biggest enemies when it comes to training. It's possible to overcome them, but a lot of guys would rather...

The year was 1966, and after effortlessly defeating Helmut Riedmeier to gain the title "The Best Built Man in Europe," 19-year-old Arnold Schwarzenegger was anticipating yet another bodybuilding victory at the NABBA Mr. Universe Pageant. Upon his arrival in London, the massive youth was swarmed...

Dogpound Gym founder and trainer Kirk Myers may look tough on the outside, but don’t let his giant muscles fool you. Myers learned at an early age how to understand women from watching his dad work alongside several female teachers in his own place of work. “My dad is a retired elementary...

TRAINING AND YOUR METABOLIC STATE When I think "workout," I think of speeds. Your metabolic state is like an engine: It can be revving at full throttle and burning fast and furious – let's call this red. It can be set in cruise control and coasting down the highway – call this yellow. It can...

GET LEAN, REVEAL YOUR GAINS Stick with this fitness thing long enough and you'll notice that everything gets recycled. Exercise and diet trends come and go... then come back around again later. It's a lot like fashion. One dietary approach that's found a resurgence in the last few years is...

You’ve probably witnessed it at the gym: someone pushing or pulling a sled, often called a prowler, up and down the floor until they collapse in a heap. If you’re unlucky, you might see someone suffer from the infamous “prowler flu, and nobody wants to clean that up. But have you heard of the...

by Christian Thibaudeau Why Working Out Every Day Won't Work You might feel accomplished by challenging your body daily, but taking no days off will limit your results and even halt gains. Here's why. No Days Off and Not Much To Show For It When we don’t like how we look, improving becomes an...

by TC Luoma The 3/7 Method for Muscle Growth and Strength A scientifically proven and extremely time-efficient set/rep scheme for increasing muscle growth and strength. Check it out here. Muscle Growth, Metabolic Stress, and Mechanical Stress I’m a sucker for metabolic stress. If, after a...

by Charles Staley The Truth About CrossFit Workouts, If You Can Handle It Many CrossFit women can lift a ton of weight while sporting six-pack abs without dieting. Sound like you? Probably not. Here's why. Crossfit Women Saved Female Fitness Has anything advanced female fitness more than...

As US Army veteran and IFBB Pro, Jeremy Potvin is recovering from a partial distal bicep tendon rupture with a technique known as Blood Flow Restriction training or BFR to get back into flexing shape, M&F takes a closer look. “Blood Flow Restriction training safely prevents low-oxygen blood...